National Gallery of Modern Art-Parikraman

Nandalal Bose

A Sketch from Album No. 76 8961 Nandalal Bose Watercolour on postcard

Nandalal had a strong affinity for sketching and drawing, instantly recording in the post card sized papers his subjects from the surrounding environs, people in their everyday life, animals, flora and fauna or anything that he found fascinating. The drawings complete in themselves were his vivid observations of the characteristics and attributes of subjects chosen from his immediate surroundings.This delightful drawing narrates a village scene with men and women in the in the field with a hut and tree in close proximity and executed with thick, fluid lines with the calligraphic style brushwork. Dinkar Kowshik in his article 'Drawings and Sketches of Nandalal in the book, "Nandalal Bose - A collection of Essays" has written of Nandalal's sketches and drawings - "Much of his (Nandalal) strength and sensitive wealth finds expression in the spontaneity of his sketches. They are a veritable treasure of shrewd observation, powerful calligraphy, psychological insight, rich sallies of humour and emphatic portrayal of the flora and fauna."